The Perfect 1 Day Hiroshima Itinerary And Travel Guide (2024)

Hiroshima is a city that played a significant part in history, in the most tragic way imaginable…

While the city of Hiroshima won't be the easiest place to visit during your trip to Japan, it’s crucial to learn about the history of a country and the impact of that history on its people.

In this 1 day Hiroshima itinerary, you can find all the main attractions and important sights in Hiroshima, most of them related to the atomic bomb that was dropped on the city during WWII.

Read how to spend one day in Hiroshima as well as practical tips to prepare for your Hiroshima trip.

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1 day Hiroshima itinerary: what to do in Hiroshima city

What it's like to visit Hiroshima

Visiting Hiroshima was strange, it was bizarre to realize that in this very city, a nuclear bomb went off during World War II.

And as always with heartbreaking places like this, I find it difficult to write about the experience. It’s challenging to put into words the strong emotions that well up when visiting places like Hiroshima.

I felt similarly about visiting the Tuol Sleng Prison and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields in Cambodia. I didn't write about visiting those places because I just couldn't find the right words.

The same goes for the Cu Chi tunnels and the War Remnant Museum in Ho Chi Minh City and the Holocaust Exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London.

When I came out of that museum I sat on the grass and cried for an hour, still not nearly enough tears for all the terrible things that happened during WWII.

War is awful and in the end, nobody wins…

Nevertheless, I was impressed how in Hiroshima the focus was on emphasizing the importance of world peace instead of placing the blame.

Still, walking around Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is a moving experience…

Update-2023: Hiroshima is the place that shows an incredible amount of stoicism and possibilities for rebirth and regrowth. While it is a wildly important reminder of the horrors of war, Hiroshima is not constrained by its past — it looks into the future, constantly evolving and changing. This is exactly why we couldn’t help but pay a visit to this place again during our last trip to Japan, to see how far it’s come in its evolution.

Hiroshima itinerary: map

In the map below you can find all the places mentioned above (including the hotel and places to eat).

Where to stay in Hiroshima

There are a lot of nice places to stay in Hiroshima, below you can find my recommendations:

• 2-star hotel: WeBase Hiroshima. Our latest budget-friendly ($80 a night!) hotel find in Hiroshima. The rooms here are neat and tidy, but pretty small (as expected from Japanese hotels, so it wasn’t an issue). WeBase has a great communal working space at the ground floor with unique designs: A large table with a cat’s tail sticking out of it and an astronaut-esque cat head peeking down from the ceiling (it’s not a cat hotel, we promise). Its central location was beneficial for our early arrival: We could leave our bags at the counter and head out to start exploring the city right away (punctuality is the greatest virtue in Japan, but at what costs: You wouldn’t be allowed to check in even three minutes earlier than the set time). Click here to book.
• 3-star hotel: APA Hotel Hiroshima-Ekimae Ohashi. One of the hundreds of hotels from the legendary Japanese hospitality group (APA stands for Always Pleasant Amenities). And oh boy, are they pleasant! While this particular hotel is located a bit further away from the city center (but still super close to the main train station), it makes up for the hassle in amenities: Spacious public baths and buffet-style breakfasts are the cherry on top of the whole experience. Click here to book.
• 3-star hotel: Hiroshima Pacific Hotel. A basic hotel in a great location close to the city center. There is free coffee and tea available as well as free luggage storage. Click here to book.
• 4-star hotel: The Knot Hiroshima. A stylish and modern hotel located next to the Peace Memorial Park. The rooftop bar offers beautiful views over Hiroshima. Click here to book.
• 5-star hotel: Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel. A luxury hotel with spacious rooms, located next to the train station in downtown Hiroshima. There’s an indoor swimming pool, gym, and professional staff who will make you feel welcome and at home. Click here to book.

How to get to Hiroshima

Hiroshima has a shinkansen* station and is therefore very easy to get to. Below are the travel times by shinkansen from other major cities in Japan:

• Tokyo: 4 hours
• Kyoto: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Osaka: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Nagoya: 2 hours 15 minutes

*Most commonly known as the bullet train, made even more world-famous by the recent movie of the same name (2022) starring Brad Pitt!

Note: if you plan on covering large distances in Japan within a short period of time, I highly recommend buying the Japan Rail Pass.

This pass gives you unlimited trips on all JR trains, JR buses, and several other lines. You can choose a pass valid for 7, 14, or 21 consecutive days.

While the JR Pass offers great value for money it may not always be the most economical option for your trip. It's worth calculating the costs of your itinerary to Japan with and without the rail pass to see which option is best for you.

You can use Hyperdia to check the costs of your intended Japan itinerary and decide whether or not the JR Pass is worth the money for your trip.

One of the items on our Japan bucket list was traveling on the famous bullet train, aka the Shinkansen. And so we traveled from Shin-Osaka station to the JR Hiroshima station in this wicked-looking train! Note that without the JR pass a one-way Shinkansen ticket will cost you ¥9,890 per person (the price is the same in both directions).

I can now say from personal experience: The bullet train is awesome! When it's pulling up you wonder if, at some point, it will stop accelerating. It's just going so fast (max 320 km/h)!

There’s actually a cool loophole you can use to maximize your Japan travel experience! When you’re riding on a bullet train in Japan, you can actually disembark in another city on your route, keep the original ticket, and then top it off with a little extra cash to finally reach your primary destination.

• In our case, there were two major cities between Osaka (our base) and Hiroshima (our destination) that we considered for a possible detour — Kobe and Okayama. On the train ride back, after taking in all the major sights that Hiroshima had to offer, we still had a little energy to burn off, so we resorted to getting off the train in Kobe and exploring it for a few hours. Upon finishing our mission, we had to pay only an extra ¥870 to finally reach Osaka.

Hiroshima itself is very compact and easy to explore on foot. Most highlights are within walking distance from each other so you don't need to use public transport if you're up for a bit of walking.

However, Hiroshima Train Station that welcomes you with open arms and bustling atmosphere as you step off the bullet train is located a bit further away from the city center (not that far, but walking is out of the question if you only have one day in Hiroshima and want to make the most out of your time here), so you will have to resort to public transport. Personally, we popped on a streetcar (trams are a popular mode of transportation in Hiroshima) and it took us to the heart of the city in no time.

The tram fare for inner-city travel is ¥220. In cash, which is important: Always carry some on you when in Japan.

Hiroshima in a day: places to visit

As I briefly mentioned above, the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima is a powerful reminder of the horrors of war.

It serves as a place of reflection, honoring those who lost their lives in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. The park is a solemn reminder of the power of peace and the importance of learning from history.

As you explore the park, you can find monuments dedicated to those who died in the bombing, as well as a museum with artifacts and information about the event (read more below).

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It's a place that should be visited by anyone visiting Hiroshima, as it is a reminder of the cost of war, and of the need for peace and justice.

The Atomic Bomb Dome

Free admission

The Atomic Bomb Dome (also known as Genbaku Dome, genbaku in Japanese meaning “atomic bomb”) is the only structure of the immediate area that remained (at least partially) standing after the bomb went off. Untouched, with the metal criss-cross skeleton of what was once a beautiful dome, this unshaped remnant of a construction is an impressive sight. In the information sign, you can see what the building looked like before the bombing.

• The atomic bomb exploded directly above the building, which is why it's called the A-bomb dome.

Before the bomb the building was named the Industrial Promotion Hall, it is one of the few buildings in Hiroshima that was left standing after the explosion.

With life brought back to Hiroshima, it’s hard to fathom what the area looked like back in its most horrific shape, and the Atomic Bomb Dome is a powerful reminder of one of the darkest times in humanity’s history.

Usually crowded, the information stand in front of the structure isn’t the only source of knowledge that you can peruse to learn more about Hiroshima history. The whole area is covered in printed out leaflets of personal family connections of those close to the perished in the attack, as well as stories translated into other languages, pictures, testimonials, etc. You can find them on the nearest poles and even on the verdant manicured bushes, — every little bit of the area is set on honoring the important memories of that one fateful day, making the history of the place that more personal, and thus, more fundamental.

Right behind the Atomic Bomb Dome, you can find one of the few tall structures located in the area — the beautiful Orizuru Tower. A multi-use building is home to an open-air observation deck, from which you can look out on the immediate surroundings: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the lesser-known back view of the Dome.

The ticket for the observation deck is a bit pricey (¥2,200 per adult on Klook), but, apart from the sprawling views, the space offers plenty of interactive activities: From making your own paper crane (sign of hope) and dropping it in the wall with thousands of others to getting on a slide that takes you down from the deck (activity most cherished by kids).

The ticket lets you re-enter the space throughout the day, so we encourage you to come back for sunset. The beautiful light-filled panoramas are a great image to remember your Hiroshima trip by: Without undermining the historical importance of other landmarks, it encapsulates what Hiroshima stands for — peace, love, and hope for the better future.

The Children's Peace Monument

Free admission

The Children's Peace Monument is a monument to remember the children who died in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

There is a heartbreaking story behind the design of the statue: a little girl named Sadako Sasaki developed leukemia after the bomb.

She set to the task of folding a thousand paper cranes as in Japan the crane bird is the symbol of longevity. Tragically, she died before she could finish her goal…

However, her classmates finished the thousands of cranes for her, and up until this day children from all around the world fold paper cranes and send them to Hiroshima, to commemorate Sakado and all the other victims…

A few booths with multitudes of colorful paper cranes surround the statue, which itself has one paper crane that sways in the wind, creating a memorable sound. The monument is an important spot on your Hiroshima itinerary: Even though the sentiment behind it is heartbreaking, the colors, the sounds, and swarms of schoolchildren that are oftentimes brought to the spot make the atmosphere light and full of promise for a better world.

Peace Memorial Hall

Free admission

In the Peace Memorial Hall, we listened to the haunting stories of people who survived the atomic bomb. It’s impossible to comprehend the amount of suffering and utter destruction caused by one single bomb.

The Hall of Remembrance and Victims’ Information Area will break your heart: The first space shows the picture of what the city looked like right after the attack as seen from the epicenter. The second area hits even closer to home, making it feel all too real: Here, thousands of pictures of the bombing victims play on a loop on a large screen.

Still, the scope of the human suffering experienced in Hiroshima is hard to grasp, even after a visit to the Peace Memorial Hall. If you have it in you, we suggest you visit the hall’s library, where stories of survivors will lift up the veil on one of the darkest days of the human race.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial museum

¥200 per person (kids’ admission is free)

We also visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and read more about the horrors of the bomb, the effect on the human body, the amount of destruction caused, and the impossibly high temperatures incinerating everything, even melting glass and metal.

The most haunting part of the museum’s permanent exhibition is the piece referred to as Human Shadow Etched in Stone: It’s a portion of the steps of the bank where on the fateful morning of August 6, an unnamed person was sitting and waiting for it to open. One thing left from that precious life is a dark shadow on otherwise light stone steps — an image that is etched in my brain forever.

A depressing morning altogether but again, it's important to visit places like this and remember the innocent victims of war.

Hiroshima Castle

Main castle grounds: Free

Castle Tower: ¥370 per person (kids’ admission is free)

A happier place to visit is Hiroshima Castle, which has been completely reconstructed in 1958. This tall (five-story!) castle is surrounded by a moat (!!), with the grounds being home to a few ginkgo trees that survived the blast (!!!) and eventually came back to life, — if this description doesn’t make you want to take a peek, we don’t know what to tell you!

The castle was also destroyed by the atomic bomb, but the reconstruction has been done perfectly (like you could expect anything less in Japan).

Inside the castle, there is a museum where you can learn about Japanese castles and the history of Japan.

There is also a section about Hiroshima Castle itself and about the ancient history of Hiroshima (hundreds of years before the bombing, so think heavy armor and samurai swords) and the region around it.

The view from the top of the castle is nice as well (especially for the humble price of ¥370, this fifth-floor space looks out on the beautiful scenery) and despite its depressing history, Hiroshima is a nice city to spend a day. It's green, open, and compact enough to explore on foot.

Hiroshima Museum of Art

¥1,300 per person (kids’ admission is ¥500)

Set just opposite Hiroshima City Central Library, Hiroshima Museum of Art is a destination for both art lovers and those impartial to fine art — a peaceful green courtyard and unique design of the building (with its central structure being pleasingly circular) will have something for everybody. There’s also an airy and bright on-site cafe with a giant gift shop right at the entrance: You can stay behind and spend your time browsing the shells and getting coffee while your more art-leaning friends explore the collections.

Speaking of collections, the museum’s permanent exhibition has a wide arrange of internationally acclaimed works by both Western and Japanese masterminds: Matisse, Van Gogh, Monet, Yokoyama Taikan, — this is a great opportunity to see the greats up close and personal.

The museum’s appeal extends over to its special exhibits: We believe that the curators of Hiroshima Museum of Art have a field day every time they’re looking for a new theme. Get this: They had Picasso, Banksy, and even Moomin Comic Strips, — the sheer scope of the past exhibitions is mind-boggling!

A more light-hearted detour on our Hiroshima one day itinerary, Museum of Art will heal your broken heart and help you cope with your emotions in a healthy way. If you have the time, it’s a worthy stop when in Hiroshima.

Go for a stroll around the Shukkeien Garden

¥260 per person (kids’ admission is free)

If you've got some time and energy left, add the Shukkeien Garden to your things to do in Hiroshima list.

Shukkeien Garden is a beautiful and tranquil place to visit. It was built in 1620 and is one of the oldest and most historically significant gardens in Japan.

Its landscape design features ponds, bridges, trees, and other elements that create a picturesque atmosphere. With its winding paths and secluded nooks, it's the perfect place to take a stroll and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Shukkeien Garden really is an eye candy: It’s a verdant paradise that has all these different areas (our favorite were bonsai-looking trees and a small bamboo patch), enough shade to shelter you from the sun during summer, plenty of flowers (varying types to have blooms year-round), and even more cute little inhabitants (the pond is home to pretty koi fish, a few turtles, and even some crabs; there are quite a few birds also, ranging from herons to ospreys).

The annual activities, like tea picking festival and cherry blossom festival (and general autumn foliage appreciation) make the experience of visiting the Garden that much more exciting!

One note before you go: Come here early, because the garden closes its doors at 5 p.m. during winter and at 6 p.m. during summer.

Hiroshima travel budget

Total costs for a couple in 2023 (without the train ride): ¥28,000 / $187 / €171

Total costs per person: ¥14,000 / $94 / €86

• I spent 1 day and 1 night in Hiroshima and traveled with my husband.
• The exchange rate is approximately €1 = 163JPY (¥) and $1 = 150JPY (¥).

Hiroshima expenses

1. Accommodation: 33% of the costs.
2. Transport: 29% of our budget (I allocated 1/5th of the costs of our railway pass, read more below).
3. Food: 31% of our daily expenses.
4. Activities: 7% of our costs (the entrance fee for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was ¥200 per person and ¥370 per person for Hiroshima Castle).

Where to eat in Hiroshima

Lunch

We read about a great Thai place in the Lonely Planet of Japan and after a thorough search, we found the tiny restaurant in a little alley. 

The set lunch menu consisted of a spicy green curry, rice, a little salad, and an omelet, it was absolutely delicious!

The Japanese lady running the place was very friendly and took a couple of pictures of us for the Facebook page.

I still haven't found that FB page, probably because the name is in Japanese. If you find it, let me know!

If you have time (which unfortunately we did not) you can do a Thai cooking class: it’s a 3 hour class where you learn to cook 3 menus in a group of max. 5 people. Costs are ¥5000/€40/$45 per person.

Where to eat this: Osanpo Masara, 9-28 Nakajimachō, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima-ken 730-0811, Japan, +81 90-9465-6352
Price: ¥1000

Dinner

At Hiroshima train station there are plenty of options to try the local cuisine (including Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki), However, we found a great little ramen place between 7-11 and a donut shop. Order your dish the Japanese way by throwing in some money and pressing the button of the dish you like.

Where to eat this: 驛麺家 Matsubaracho, 〒732-0822, 1-2 Matsubaracho, Minami Ward, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture 732-0822, +81 82-261-1678
Price: ¥400-¥800

Update-2023: Phew, Hiroshima’s food scene can show even New York a run for its money! New food joints open here left and right, but the quality of cuisine is always upheld to a tee. Most of the places we’ve visited in Hiroshima left us full as a python and happy as a clam!

When it comes to new (at least to us) and exciting places, we could think of a few you absolutely must try out when in Hiroshima:

• Ichiran — the world-famous Japanese chain restaurant that serves just one dish — tonkotsu ramen. The lack of variation shouldn’t scare you away, quite the opposite: They’ve perfected the recipe so that you could get the ideal bowl of ramen every time you come here. The restaurant is every introvert’s paradise: A vending machine takes your order, and you’re then shown a chart to find a vacant small booth with panels on either side, — you came here to eat and not socialize, after all! You can customize your ramen, adding extra stuff, like more egg or less pork (you also fill out a form with specifications on how you like your ramen (spicy/not spicy) and how tender you want the noodles to be), but the classic bowl will set you back ¥980 (add-ons will cost extra). You should really consider coming to Ichiran if you are in Hiroshima, because its other locations (in Osaka or Kyoto, for example) have such long lines that you could die from starvation while waiting!
• Okonomimura — a whole food hall with multiple booths serving Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki (Hiroshimayaki, if you will). Okonomiyaki is a savory treat served in a shape of a pancake that is so popular in this part of Japan. The thing that sets Hiroshima’s version apart is the way the pancake is cooked: The ingredients aren’t meshed together, but rather layered on top of each other. The restaurants often make it right in front of you on a hot grill surface: You’re supposed to cut the dish up into pieces with a spatula and then use that same spatula to eat them. Quite a learning curve for the novices, but the taste of okonomiyaki (at least the ones that we’ve tried) is always off the charts! Depending on the ingredients, okonomiyaki can cost somewhere between ¥800 and ¥2,500.
• Obscura Coffee Roasters  — every list of great coffee shops in Hiroshima is always streamlined by Obscura Coffee Roasters. Upon our latest trip to Hiroshima, we decided to investigate for ourselves and see what the hype was all about. Turns out, Obscura Coffee Roasters makes, pardon our language, a damn good cup of coffee! In two days, we visited this place multiple times: The welcoming atmosphere, friendly baristas, and great specialty coffee (you can choose the beans and expect them to be brewed to perfection each time) make for an easy choice when you’re out and about in the city and find yourself low on caffeine! The prices are okay too — a simple latte costs ¥560.

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How to prepare for your trip to Hiroshima

Here are some things to take into account when planning your Hiroshima trip.

What is the best time to visit Hiroshima?

The best time to visit Hiroshima is during the late spring or early summer. This time of year offers mild temperatures and the opportunity to visit the many memorials and sites of interest in the city.

There are also many festivals to attend during this time, such as Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony in August and Hiroshima Flower Festival in May.

For a more leisurely experience, late autumn or winter is also a great time to visit, while temperatures are lower, the city is much less crowded and accommodation is cheaper as well.

How many days do you need in Hiroshima?

It really depends on what you'd like to do and see in Hiroshima. While this 1 day Hiroshima itinerary shows you the most important sights in the city, you can easily fill up a week with fun activities.

As we’ve mentioned before, most of the major landmarks in Hiroshima are located super close to the city center, so seeing them all in one day is a pretty easy undertaking. If strapped for time, you can even consider booking a guided bike tour of the main city sights.

Personally, we believe that our latest city escapades were timed perfectly: We arrived in Hiroshima in late afternoon, hit the first half of the spots, then had a good night’s rest, and saw the rest of the sights the next day. We still had a good amount of energy on our bullet train ride back to Osaka (our base at the time), so we took a little detour in Kobe. Trust us, it was the most chill yet productive trip we’ve ever had; so, copy our timeline if you want the same experience!

That being said, if you've got 2 days, I highly recommend spending one day following this Hiroshima itinerary and reserving the second day for a day trip to the Island of Miyajima.

On Miyajima, you can visit the famous Itsukushima shrine (the city's other UNESCO World Heritage Site) and admire the floating Torii Gate during high tide (pictured below), hike Mount Misen, and visit the ancient Daisho-in temple.

If you didn’t think about renting a tour in advance (this one’s great, because it also covers Hiroshima’s main sights and experiences, before moving on to Miyajima), don’t worry: They say that you can easily buy ferry tickets at the Motoyasubashi Pier located right by the Atomic Bomb Dome.

How to spend one day in Hiroshima: in conclusion

Our 1-day Hiroshima itinerary is sure to give you a meaningful glimpse into the past and present of the city.

If you plan ahead, you can take in sights like the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima Castle, and the Atomic Bomb Dome within one day.

When visiting Hiroshima, it's important to take the time to reflect on its rich and difficult history. We hope that this guide has helped you to explore Hiroshima and its many facets in a meaningful and respectful way.

If you’re in Hiroshima around the Memorial Day (August 6), look out for the city’s official flower — oleander. They say that it’s a symbol of hope and rebirth, since it was the first flower to bloom in the rubble after the attack. Finding it is like participating in something bigger than yourself, it brings you closer to this particular part of history.

Read my other posts about Japan (including our Japan travel budget breakdown and Japan itinerary) for more Japan travel inspiration.

This post was updated in November 2023.